Time for a new patio or hardscape for your Charlotte area home?

Archadeck of Charlotte has been serving the greater Charlotte area for over 28 years building the finest patios and hardscapes throughout the Charlotte market. Patios have certainly changed over the last 5 – 10 years. Not too many years ago, most patios were made of brick pavers. Today’s patios are made of a variety of pavers and stones and are often assembled in unique footprints complementing each homeowner’s yard. Today’s patios include vertical hardscapes including outdoor kitchens, retaining walls, decorative pillars, and even hardscape stairs and steps. Archadeck of Charlotte has tremendous experience and expertise in designing and building Charlotte’s best patios and hardscapes. Here are some options for your new patio or hardscape.

Pavers or stone?

There are so many materials available for your patio that it can be dizzying. Not only are today’s pavers anything but rectangular and brick colored but the stone options are seemingly endless. But if you’re not sure if you’d like pavers or stone, you might want to consider whether you’re looking for a consistent and organized pattern that’s very pleasing to the logical mind or something more misfitting that’s more pleasing to the rustic and artistic eye. There is a third option which is outdoor tile. Archadeck of Charlotte does a lot of work with Turkish travertine tile. The individual tiles are substantially sized and are organized with very tight joints like an interior tile floor. Travertine patios have a very neat, finished and organized look. The tiles come in a variety of colors and subtle textures.

Within the stone options, a very popular option is flagstone. Flagstones are genuine authentic stones. Therefore every single stone is different and no two patios are alike. Our masons carefully hand-select every stone when placing the stones in your new stone patio. If you are thinking about pavers, the possibilities truly seem endless. Pavers are now made in just about any earth toned shade you can imagine. They also come in a dizzying number of sizes and with a multitude of textures. Lean on your contractor to help you decide. They will guide you through the color family to the shape/size and finally the layout decisions.

Straight and narrow or curved and fabulous?

As noted above, you may prefer a sense of order and a repeating pattern in your patio or a sense of uniquely shaped stones carefully fit together. For the footprint of your patio, you are not limited to choosing straight edges or rounded corners. You can have both! Are you looking for a patio path that meanders around your deck and then extends out to your pool? You may have some planting beds that you want to finish with paver borders or retaining walls. Perhaps a series of curves is most pleasing with each area housing different elements of your backyard such as an eating area followed by a curve area encasing some delicate landscaping.

Horizontal or vertical?

When we think of patios, we envision a level surface for placing furniture, tables and other outdoor furnishings and accessories. Some of the best hardscapes build up. This includes traditional retaining walls or terracing but also includes vertical walls integrated into the patio. Vertical walls can be built for seating, to enclose an area, to mark an entrance to an area or even for decorative purposes. Hardscape walls around the perimeter of an area can serve as railing while accomplishing the secondary benefit of serving as a seating wall. This is especially useful around a custom fire pit.

Hardscape pillars are popular to accentuate an entrance to your outdoor area. The pillars can be topped with built-in lighting or can be left flat to switch out your adornment based on the time of year. Add a decorative topiary in the spring, a rustic piece of pottery in the fall and a miniature tree during holiday season.

Not just for patios…

Drive around some of Charlotte’s most beautiful areas such as South Park, Myers Park, Carmel Country Club or Raintree and you’ll see driveways and parking areas made of pavers. Paver patios, when built by professionals, are tough enough to drive and park a car on and wow are they beautiful! Have the look of a European parking space right in front of your home. How about a gorgeous path leading visitors from one area of your yard to another? The opportunities are literally endless.